The State Council Information Office (SCIO) holds a policy briefing about the measures on accelerating the development of the tiered medical service system in Beijing, capital of China, on April 13, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) - China will step up efforts to strengthen community-level medical and health services and expand rehabilitation care, in a bid to make healthcare more accessible and convenient for the public, according to the National Health Commission (NHC).

Jiao Yahui, an NHC official, made the remarks at a press conference held by the State Council on Monday, explaining newly issued measures to accelerate the development of a tiered diagnosis and treatment system.

The tiered diagnosis and treatment system is designed to ensure that common and frequently occurring illnesses are treated at local clinics, while more complex and severe conditions are handled by higher-level hospitals, the NHC said.

Currently, more than 1.1 million medical and healthcare facilities nationwide serve both urban and rural communities, and over 90 percent of residents can reach the nearest healthcare center within 15 minutes. The network of primary healthcare services is being steadily enhanced, according to the press conference.

To further boost the capacity of community-level medical services, efforts will focus on developing specialized departments at the grassroots level, particularly for common and chronic diseases, improving the supply and coordination of medicines, and exploring the use of technologies such as AI-assisted diagnostics and pre-prescription review systems in primary care, Jiao said.

Officials at the press conference also stressed the need to strengthen the management and support of patient referral services.